Google Partners with Energy Dome to Store Renewable Energy in Domes Filled with CO₂

By Sammi

Google Energy Dome
Google Energy Dome
Photo Google Gemini


MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — In a bold move toward its 24/7 carbon-free energy goal, Google has announced a new partnership with Italian startup Energy Dome to deploy a novel long-duration energy storage (LDES) technology that uses giant domes filled with carbon dioxide (CO₂). This collaboration represents Google's first commercial deal in the LDES space and is a significant step in making intermittent renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, more reliable around the clock.

The technology, dubbed the "CO₂ Battery," operates on a simple, yet powerful, thermo-mechanical principle. When there's an excess of cheap renewable energy on the grid, the system uses that power to compress CO₂ gas, which is stored in a large, flexible dome, and turn it into a liquid. The heat generated during this process is also captured and stored.

When the grid needs more power—for example, when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing—the system reverses. The stored heat is used to turn the liquid CO₂ back into a pressurized gas, which then expands and drives a turbine to generate electricity. This closed-loop process is highly efficient and doesn't release any CO₂ into the atmosphere.

A Game-Changer for Long-Duration Storage

Traditional lithium-ion batteries are great for short-term needs, typically providing only a few hours of backup power. The CO₂ Battery, however, is a long-duration solution capable of dispatching energy for 8 to 24 hours. This makes it an ideal complement to renewables, allowing power to be stored during peak production and used later to meet demand, even overnight or during multi-day periods of low wind and sun.

This technology also offers key advantages over other storage methods. It uses readily available industrial components, which helps avoid the supply chain bottlenecks and high costs associated with rare materials. Furthermore, the system's rotating machinery adds natural inertia to the grid, which helps stabilize power flow—a crucial benefit as grids transition from fossil fuel plants, which provide this stability, to renewables.

Global Deployment and a Shared Vision

Google's partnership with Energy Dome includes both a commercial agreement to deploy projects and a strategic investment in the company. The tech giant plans to support the rollout of these CO₂ battery facilities in key regions where it has data centers and operations, including Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific.

This initiative is part of Google's broader commitment to power its operations with 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030. By helping to scale this innovative technology, Google and Energy Dome hope to accelerate the global energy transition, proving that a cost-effective and carbon-free electricity supply is achievable.

"This isn't just about Google," said Maud Texier, Director of Energy for Google EMEA. "By helping to scale this first-of-a-kind LDES technology, we hope to help communities everywhere gain greater access to reliable, affordable electricity and support grid resilience."

The news article highlights the potential of the CO₂ Battery as a long-duration energy storage (LDES) solution. To understand its significance, it's helpful to compare it to other prominent energy storage methods.

1. Lithium-Ion Batteries

  • How they work: Lithium-ion batteries store energy electrochemically. They are a familiar technology, used in everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to grid-scale storage.1

  • Comparison with CO₂ Battery:

    • Duration: Li-ion batteries are primarily for short- to medium-duration storage (1-4 hours). The CO₂ Battery is specifically designed for long-duration applications (8-24 hours or more), which is a key gap in the current market.2

    • Materials: Li-ion batteries rely on lithium, cobalt, and other raw materials that can be subject to volatile prices and supply chain issues.3 The CO₂ Battery uses readily available, off-the-shelf industrial components and an abundant substance (CO₂), making it less susceptible to these constraints.4

    • Lifespan & Degradation: Li-ion batteries degrade over time, losing capacity with each charge and discharge cycle.5 The CO₂ Battery is a mechanical system with no chemical degradation, giving it a projected lifespan of over 30 years with no loss of performance.6

2. Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS)

  • How it works: This is the most common form of large-scale energy storage. It uses surplus electricity to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper one. When power is needed, the water is released, turning a turbine to generate electricity.7

  • Comparison with CO₂ Battery:

    • Scalability & Location: PHS is highly efficient but its deployment is severely limited by geography.8 It requires specific terrain with two large reservoirs at different elevations.9 The CO₂ Battery can be deployed almost anywhere, making it a much more flexible and scalable solution.10

    • Maturity: PHS is a proven, mature technology that has been in use for over a century. The CO₂ Battery is a newer, emerging technology, though a successful demonstration plant is already operational.11

3. Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES)

  • How it works: CAES systems use electricity to compress air and store it in large underground caverns or tanks.12 When energy is needed, the air is released, expands, and turns a turbine.13

  • Comparison with CO₂ Battery:

    • Energy Density: CO₂ has a unique property: it can be liquefied at ambient temperatures under pressure.14 This means it can store a much higher energy density in a smaller volume compared to compressed air, which requires massive underground caverns.

    • Efficiency: Older "diabatic" CAES systems lose a significant amount of heat during compression, requiring natural gas to reheat the air before it can be used to generate electricity.15 "Adiabatic" CAES systems aim to solve this by storing the heat, but they are still in the development phase. The CO₂ Battery has a high round-trip efficiency of over 75% without the need for additional fossil fuels.16

    • Location: Similar to PHS, traditional CAES is limited by the availability of suitable geological formations (salt caverns, aquifers).17 The CO₂ Battery is not dependent on these specific sites.

4. Flow Batteries

  • How they work: Flow batteries store energy in tanks of liquid electrolyte solutions.18 The size of the tanks determines the energy capacity, while the size of the electrochemical cell determines the power output, allowing for independent scaling.

  • Comparison with CO₂ Battery:

    • Scalability: Both technologies are considered excellent for long-duration storage because their energy and power can be scaled independently.

    • Efficiency: Flow batteries generally have a lower round-trip efficiency (70-85%) compared to Li-ion batteries and are often more expensive. The CO₂ Battery's claimed efficiency of over 75% is competitive with many flow battery chemistries.19

    • Maintenance & Components: Flow batteries can be complex, often using corrosive liquids and requiring intricate management systems. The CO₂ Battery relies on standard, robust industrial machinery, which may lead to lower operational and maintenance costs.20

In summary, the CO₂ Battery positions itself as a strong contender in the long-duration energy storage market by offering a solution that is geographically independent, uses widely available materials, has a long lifespan without degradation, and is highly efficient.21 This makes it a potential game-changer for grids seeking to integrate higher levels of variable renewable energy sources.

Location: Mountain View, CA, USA

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